1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to network communication, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, system, and article of manufacture for splitting dielectric waveguides and enabling bidirectional communication across a dielectric waveguide in a millimeter wavelength communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
(Note: This application references a number of different publications as indicated throughout the specification by reference numbers enclosed in brackets, e.g., [x]. A list of these different publications ordered according to these reference numbers can be found below in the section entitled “References.” Each of these publications is incorporated by reference herein.)
Advances in the mobile, desktop, and server backplane/data center markets have motivated new approaches to Gbps (gigabytes per second) interconnects that seek to reduce power consumption, increase data-reach (operating distance), and reduce overall package pin count. More specifically, millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communications have gained attention in recent years, primarily since the high fractional bandwidth potentially offers multi-Gb/s wireless data-links [1-3].
One recent Gbps solution proposed by wide-screen LCD (liquid crystal display) manufacturers are dielectric waveguides operating at mm-wave. These interconnects have been proposed as an alternative to conventional LVDS (low voltage differential signaling) or optical interconnects for transfer of HD (high definition) display data from the DVR (digital video recorder) or set-top box to the display processor. A dielectric waveguide is a long solid piece of dielectric that confines an electromagnetic wave and offers low insertion loss compared with copper solutions for LVDS (TP [twisted pair], CPW [coplanar waveguide], or uStrip).
Further, recently demonstrated mm-wave transceivers offer impressively high data-rates, however, their range is typically limited to only a few meters [2], and so non-free space mm-wave communication approaches such as the dielectric ribbon link demonstrated in [4] have been developed to operate over longer distances of up to 10 meters. Dielectric ribbons allow direct coupling from a transceiver with either an on-chip probe or antenna structure placed nearby the ribbon's end. The simplicity of coupling makes them attractive for aircraft and spacecraft applications as transmission through a dielectric ribbon does not rely on an electrical contact, only a coupled wave. Additionally dielectric ribbons can be much lighter weight than copper interconnects, reducing overall payload weight.
In view of the above, while dielectric waveguide interconnects themselves already exist, the necessary infrastructure (especially signal splitters and signal combiners) required to build modern network technologies have not yet been demonstrated. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a very simple, versatile, and flexible, transmission medium at relatively low costs, that offers mechanical interfacing similar to fiber optic, and channel bandwidths comparable to LVDS.